Trooper

Michael Theodore Dafferner

Tennessee Highway Patrol — Nashville, TN
Accident
End of Watch April 6, 1966
Age 25
Tour of Duty 7 mo
The Vigil Panel 101 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Dafferner was killed in an automobile accident on Tennessee 33 north of Knoxville while on patrol. His patrol car left the roadway and plunged down an embankment.

Trooper Dafferner had served with the agency for only 7 months.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Dafferner served with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of Tennessee. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Dafferner.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Nashville, Davidson County, TN
Platform Identity thp.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 6, 1966
Tour of Duty 7 mo
Age 25
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Michael is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1966, 77 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 31st heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 25. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Michael had served 0.6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Tennessee Highway Patrol has 41 officers remembered here, Michael among them.

VI

Where

Trooper Michael Theodore Dafferner

Tennessee Highway Patrol · End of Watch April 6, 1966

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 51-W

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